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Dear friends,
I've just arrived back in Baghdad following our Copenhagen Crisis Summit.
The summit was called in response to sectarian violence facing Iraq's Christians, which intensified following the October 31 massacre at the Syrian Catholic Church, a short walk from St George's here in Baghdad.
More than 50 worshippers were killed when extremists stormed the church.
Since then, attacks on Christians have continued. Many more people have lost their lives, had their homes ransacked.
We have seen a mass exodus of Iraq's Christian community, and more than 1,000 people have been internally displaced to Kurdistan in the north of the country. Others have become refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
Under my direction, The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East called a crisis meeting of the High Council of Religious Leaders in Iraq (HCRLI).
The leaders
In attendance were some of Iraq's most influential Sunni, Shia and Christian leaders - including Sheikh Abdulhaleem Al Zuhairi, a senior Shia leader and chief religious advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Christian political leader Mr Yonadam Kanna, leader of Zowaa Assyrian Democratic Movement, senior Sunni leader Sheikh Dr Abdul Latif Humayem, who heads the Association of Iraqi Islamic Scholars, and Archbishop Avak Asadorian, of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Iraq,and General Secretary of The Council of Christian Church Leaders of Iraq.
Discussions were intense, wholly committed to stemming violence against Christians and other religious minorities.
The debate was long and hard, but the result is a declaration and a Fatwa calling for peace between religious factions and banning religious hostility and killing.
The leaders expressed regret, sadness and concern at attacks on Christians, who they said were a fundamental part of the Iraqi community and should be protected.
The whole event was very well covered by the media and journalists came from as far away as California.
The next step.
Intense discussion is now underway with regards to the implementation of the High Council's final declaration.
Thank you for your wonderful support during this important time. Your prayers and messages were so greatly appreciated.
Thanks go also to our host, the Danish Government, which financed the event, with the sponsorship of the Lutheran Bishop of Copenhagen.
Further details of the summit, including the full declaration, will be available on our website, www.frrme.org, shortly.
With Peace and Blessings,
Andrew
Canon Andrew White
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